The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-07-08
FARM AND GARDEN.
THINNING CORN AND porAroEs.

Three stalks in hill are sui1cient
for corn where good crop OF grain Is
desired, and three vigorous stalks OF
potatoes will furnish more marketable
tubers than greater number. 1t Is
considerable labor TO thin the plants
out, but it will pay. In pulling pototo
sprouts a sudden jerk is required to
break IL of where 1t joins the tuber
without pulling the latter up. One
strong eye will generally produce three
shoots, and sometimes more. II two
eyes are planted in hill considerable
thinning will be needed.
SAP SUCKERS ON TREES.
II apple trees were trimmed in Win
ter or Spring it will doubtless start
mutitudes Of dormant buds on the
branches and even on the trunks.
These nre called sap suckers, produced
as they are by nm exuberance Of sap for
which there is not enough outlet. Now
when the tree gets in full leaf these
sap suckers may be rubbed off by hand
simply by pinch between finger and
thumb. 1t is no detrment to the tree.
and saves both waste OF growth aud
more expensive pruning if left until
Fall or next Spring.
CULTIvATING CROPS EARLY.
The cultivator should be set to work
in corn or potatoes as soon as possible.
This with corn will be as soon as it be-
gins to show above the surface and
with potatoes in ridges somewhat be-
fore. N6smatter how planted the
slanting-tooth harrow can and should
be used on both corn and potatoes from
the time they are planted until they
are up. Tho destruction of small
weeds is only one of the advantages of
this early narrowing The pulveriza-
ton of the surface soil by the harrow
opens the ground to light and air. thus
adding greatly to the effectiveness of
any manure and making the sod turned
under rot more readily.
PJGS AT PASTURE.
That pigsswill eat grass and clover
readily does. not show that alone it is
the best and most economical feed. 1t
is too bulkyy'in proportion to its nutri-
ment but with little grain or milk
this defect is remedied. The stomach
of the hog is comparatively smaller
than that of the sheep, COW or other
ruminant animals. Thus, although
the pig is called gluttonous, it is quail
ity, or nutrition, and not mere bulk of
food, that he requires. But with lit
tie grain pigs in rich pasture will grow
and fatten more rapidly and economic
ally than in the pen, and the pork will
be far more healthful food.
CUTTING WHITE DAISY FOR HAY.
In thousands OF meadows where the
grass and clover seeding is poor the
surface is covered with white daisies,
growing one and half or two and a
half feet high, according to the soil.
Although weed these white daisies
have enough nutritive value to be
worth cutting and saving for hay.
Cows and horses will eat them in win
ter when little pinched, If the hay
has been properly secured. If cut
early it ranks in value half way between
grain, straw and good hay. If cut af-
Ter it gets in flower the stalk becomes
more woody, and its value is much re-
luced Another important reason for
early cutting is to prevent the weed
rom seeding.
KILLING OFF OLD HENS.
When one and two years the old hen is
1t her bestfor egg production. Espec-
ally valuable fowls may 10 kept long
n and make better sitters than when
younger. After the flush of egg pro-
luction has stopped, and when they be-
yin to want to set, is. good time to
Kill them of. They keep in good flesh
while laying, but rapidly grow thin
when the fever of incubation is on
hem, so that if not killed promptly
hey will not be in condition again
until late in the season. Thinning the
lock now makes room for growing
,hcks. and on the farm prevents loss
" their ravages on crops or IN the
gardens, 1t is a sign of unthriftiness
n many ways to see fowls five. six and
wen eight or ten years old about the
premises. They have long outlived
heir lest usefulness, and should make
way for something better.